Work

Aviram–Ratner rectifying mechanism for DNA base-pair sequencing through graphene nanogaps

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: We demonstrate that biological molecules such as Watson-Crick DNA base pairs can behave as biological Aviram-Ratner electrical rectifiers because of the spatial separation and weak hydrogen bonding between the nucleobases. We have performed a parallel computational implementation of the ab initio non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) theory to determine the electrical response of graphene--base-pair--graphene junctions. The results show an asymmetric (rectifying) current-voltage response for the cytosine-guanine base pair adsorbed on a graphene nanogap. In sharp contrast we find a symmetric response for the thymine-adenine case. We propose applying the asymmetry of the current-voltage response as a sensing criterion to the technological challenge of rapid DNA sequencing via graphene nanogaps.

Source: Nanotechnology

DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/23/13/135202

Authors: Luis A Agapito, Jacob Gayles, Christian Wolowiec, Nicholas Kioussis

Institutions: California State University, Northridge, Texas A&M University, University of California San Diego

Language: English

Topic: Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Division of Materials Research

Awards: MRI-R2: Acquisition of a Beowulf Cluster for Computational Materials Research and Education, Multiscale simulations of transport in DNA and DNA-carbon nanotube systems, PREM - Multidisciplinary Research and Education in Computational Materials Science